'DWTS' Dedicates Monday Dances to Boston Tragedy

April 15, 2013

In the wake of Monday's deadly Boston Marathon bombings, Dancing with the Stars began week five on a somber note, hoping to uplift the spirits of a country in mourning with two hours of light-hearted entertainment.

"Before we officially begin the show, we just want to take a moment. Our thoughts are with everyone in Boston tonight," began host Tom Bergeron shakily. "I have family members and many friends there. My heart is with you."

Added co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet, "Our entire cast is thinking about you…Hopefully we can still have an entertaining night of competition."

Tonight, the nine remaining couples aligned themselves with a pair of professional partners for a side-by-side dance dubbed "Len's Side-By-Side Challenge." By Monday's end, Zendaya Coleman and Valentin Chmerkovskiy skyrocketed to the top of the leaderboard after earning not just one, but two 10s for their sensuous Argentine Tango alongside Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Anna Trebunskaya.

On cloud nine after achieving 29 points, which included season 16's very first 10s, the team kept their thoughts with those affected by the tragedy on everyone's mind today.

"I want to dedicate these 10s to everybody in Boston," said Val. "Honestly, this is a difficult show to be a part of right now and I just hope we're doing something special for everybody."

Another high scorer of the night, Aly Raisman, also took a moment after her routine to send well wishes to those suffering in her hometown of Boston.

"It's so devastating," said Aly. "The Boston Marathon is such a special day. Its where everyone comes together so It's just so heartbreaking that this happened and my heart goes out to everyone back home and anyone else who was affected."